A collection of target Enterprise JavaBeans (EJBs) that are associated with the source EJB in a one-to-many association is obtained in response to traversing the one-to-many association of the source EJB. The collection of target EJBs is registered in a collection registry. The source EJB is passivated without passivating the collection of target EJBs, and the source EJB is later reactivated. The collection of target EJBs that are associated with the source EJB that is reactivated is fetched from the collection registry in response to traversing the one to many association of the source EJB that is reactivated. The one-to-many association between the source EJB and the collection of target EJBs may be managed by a link object that is generated by a link factory.